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Issue - meetings
Town Deal
Meeting: 06/01/2020 - Cabinet (Item 229)
Decision:
1. To delegate authority to the Director of Operational Services or his nominee in consultation with the Lead Member for Regeneration and Culture to:
· Establish a Town Board and agree its membership with the relevant partners including with local businesses and the community.
· To procure services and expertise to develop a Town Investment Plan and agree the Town Deal using the £173,029 awarded by the government to support this initiative.
· To establish a project team to oversee the development of the plans and its implementation in conjunction with the County Council and other partners as appropriate.
Minutes:
The Assistant Director, Regeneration and Culture presented a report that sets out the purpose of the Town Fund, and both the partnership and work arrangements which need to be put in place to access the Town Fund.
The report seeks both the support for the direction of travel and authority to spend up to £173,029 ‘capacity’ funding in delivering a successful town bid. A Town Board would be set up and its membership would include partners from local businesses and the community. A Town Investment Plan would be developed and a project team would oversee the development and implementation of these plans.
Councillors were supportive of securing this funding. They saw this as an opportunity to help draw down from other funds and that it has the potential to fit in with other schemes.
Councillors were disappointed with the short length of time they have to find members for the Town Board. They would ideally like to reach out to parts for the community that don’t traditionally engage with the Council such as those from deprived wards. This looks unlikely to happen but Councillors were kind to support more focussed work within the community. They hoped that any consultation work would focus on gathering views and engaging people from these communities.
Councillor Chowney proposed approval of the recommendations of the report, seconded by Councillor Rogers.
RESOLVED (Unanimously)
1. To delegate authority to the Director of Operational Services or his nominee in consultation with the Lead Member for Regeneration and Culture to:
· Establish a Town Board and agree its membership with the relevant partners including with local businesses and the community.
· To procure services and expertise to develop a Town Investment Plan and agree the Town Deal using the £173,029 awarded by the government to support this initiative.
· To establish a project team to oversee the development of the plans and its implementation in conjunction with the County Council and other partners as appropriate.
Reasons for Recommendations
1. The government recently launched the Towns Fund with the objective of driving the economic regeneration of towns such as Hastings and delivering long term economic and productivity growth. The Towns Fund will provide up to £25 million public investment by central government through the agreement of a Town Deal.
2. There is also the possibility of additional funding which may come from other sources or branches of government and private investment, to support the implementation of a Town Deal. It offers an opportunity for Hastings to address many of the remaining social and economic challenges in the town as a whole.
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